The Mahabharata of Krishna-Dwaipayana Vyasa, Volume 2 eBook

“Vasudeva said, If Jarasandha, and the ruler
of the Chedis, and the mighty son of the Nishada king,
had not been slain, they would have become terrible.
Without doubt, Duryodhana would have chosen those
foremost of car-warriors (for embracing his side).
They had always been hostile to us, and, accordingly,
they would all have adopted the side of the Kauravas.
All of them were heroes and mighty bowmen accomplished
in weapons and firm in battle. Like the celestials
(in prowess), they would have protected Dhritarashtra’s
sons. Indeed, the Suta’s son, and Jarasandha,
and the ruler of the Chedis, and the son of the Nishada
adopting the son of Suyodhana, would have succeeded
in conquering the whole earth. Listen, O Dhananjaya,
by what means they were slain. Indeed, without
the employment of means, the very gods could not have
conquered them in battle. Each of them, O Partha,
could fight in battle with the whole celestial host
protected by the Regents of the world. (On one occasion),
assailed by Valadeva, Jarasandha, excited with wrath,
hurled for our destruction a mace capable of slaying
all creatures. Endued with the splendour of fire,
that mace coursed towards us dividing the welkin like
the line on the head that parts the tresses of a woman,
and with the impetuosity of the thunder hurled by
Sakra. Beholding that mace thus coursing towards
us the son of Rohini hurled the weapon called Sthunakarna
for baffling it. Its force destroyed by the energy
of Valadeva’s weapon, that mace fell down on
the earth, splitting her (with its might) and making
the very mountains tremble. There was a terrible
Rakshasa of the name Jara, endued with great prowess.
She, O prince, had united that slayer of foes, and,
therefore, was the latter called Jarasandha.
Jarasandha had been made up of two halves of one child.
And because it was Jara that had united those two
halves, it was for this that he came to be called
Jarasandha.[237] That Rakshasa woman, O Partha, who
was there within the earth, was slain with her son
and kinsmen by means-of that mace and the weapon of
Sthunakarna. Deprived of his mace in that great
battle, Jarasandha was afterwards slain by Bhimasena
in thy presence, O Dhananjaya.[238] If the valiant
Jarasandha had stood armed with his mace, the very
gods with Indra at their head could not have slain
him in battle. O best of men! for thy good, the
Nishada’s son also, of prowess incapable of
being baffled, was, by an act of guile, deprived of
his thumb by Drona, assuming the position of his preceptor.
Proud and endued with steady prowess, the Nishada’s
son, with fingers cased in leathern gloves, looked
resplendent like a second Rama. Undeprived of
thumb, Ekalavya, O Partha, was incapable of being vanquished
in battle by the gods, the Danavas, the Rakshasas,
and the Uragas (together). Of firm grasp, accomplished
in weapons, and capable of shooting incessantly day
and night, he was incapable of being looked at by mere
men. For thy good, he was slain by me on the